The present invention relates to components and methods used in connection with ventricular assist device connectors.
In certain disease states, the heart lacks sufficient pumping capacity to meet the needs of the body. This inadequacy can be alleviated by providing a mechanical pump referred to as a ventricular assist device (“VAD”) to supplement the pumping action of the heart. Considerable effort has been devoted to providing a VAD which can be implanted and which can remain in operation for months or years to keep the patient alive while the heart heals, or which can remain in operation permanently during the patient's lifetime if the heart does not heal, or which can keep the patient alive until a suitable donor heart becomes available.
The VAD is typically connected to the heart, most commonly to the left ventricle. Typically, one end of a tube is connected to the VAD and the other end is connected to the aorta. Once connected, the VAD and the heart both pump blood from the left ventricle to the ascending or descending aorta to improve blood flow. Alternatively, a VAD may be connected to the ventricle to assist the heart in pumping blood to into pulmonary arteries.
The VAD typically is connected to the heart through the use of a VAD connector, as disclosed in U.S. Published Patent Application Nos. 2004/0171905 and 2007/0134993, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. The VAD connector may be in the shape of a ring and is attached to the outer surface of the heart, commonly through the use of sutures. A separate surgical tool is then used to cut a hole in the ventricle within the VAD connector. A tube extending from the VAD is inserted through another hole in the left ventricle. The VAD is then attached to the VAD connector such that in inlet tube of the VAD is positioned within the central opening of the VAD connector. The VAD connector is used to clamp the tube and thereby hold the VAD in position on the heart. In other procedures, another component of the VAD, such as a pump housing or other element, is inserted into the connector ring. To prevent hemorrhaging and other complications, the seal between the VAD and VAD connector must be sufficiently tight to prevent blood loss from the heart.